


Broke-down Palace

by ellethom



Series: THe Color of Music: JB Appreciation Week 2015 [4]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Continuation of Ripple, F/M, JB Appreciation week 2015 Day 7-White, and out of order, but screw it, i'm late
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-14
Updated: 2015-10-14
Packaged: 2018-04-26 08:38:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4998079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ellethom/pseuds/ellethom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a continuation of Ripple, and it is specifically for TheBeautyOfTarth, she practically wrote it herself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Broke-down Palace

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheBeautyOfTarth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBeautyOfTarth/gifts).



> So, i am late to the party, as usual. This is Day 7 White, and most would say this should count for black, but no, white is for weddings. And honeymoons. And truth.
> 
> And, this is for TheBeautyOfTarth who insisted...really she did
> 
> Honeymoon at Harrenhal, the ultimate Broke-down Palace in so many ways
> 
> Title is from the Grateful Dead song

 

“This is ridiculous.” Brienne said for the millionth time that morning. Standing at the ruins of a place she had been to three times in her life already.

Jaime shrugged but the smile never left his face. “Honeymoon in Harrenhall!” He said, arms stretched out.

Brienne blew a breath that ruffled her pale bangs, still curled slightly from the wedding.  “I don't know why I listened to you.” She sighed.

“Because you love me?” He grinned.

“The jury is still out on that one, Lannister.” She smiled.

Jaime placed one outstretched arm around he newly wedded bride and squeezed. “And, because you want to solve another mystery.”

Brienne shook her head but could not deny the reality of his words.  They had come together over a pair of swords, a destiny written in Valyrian steel over a thousand years before either of them were born.  She had submitted and won her defense, but Jaime had continued the search, a man possessed he had to know. “You are so obsessed.” She said.

“Only with you,”  Jaime answered pulling her closer. He kissed her in front of the ruins of the great hall that once held one hundred hearths. “You know, close up you can still see runners if melted stone where Balerion torched the place.”

“We know all of this,  Jaime.  Every fifth year school kid knows how Harren the Black met his fate.”

Jaime comically patted his jacket and finally withdrew the file. “ But,” he said with more flourish than necessary. “We are not here for the melted scenery.”

“And why are we here again?” She asked, he had been squirrelly and obtuse when he insisted in making the honeymoon plans.  Even going so far as to force her to promise to trust him.

Jaime smiled, “I may have found another story with your Ser Brienne.”

“Yes,” She huffed. “I figured that.”

The early afternoon sun threw crazy shadows over the ruined towers. He led her away from the main halls and out behind what was once the kitchens. “Where is your sense of adventure?” He asked leading her through the large yard.

“I married you didn't I?” She asked.

“Oh, Brienne has jokes today.” Jaime accused. “But she won't be laughing when she discovers what her amazing curator type husband has found.”

“Pretty sure if yourself, Jaime.”

“Wait til you know what I know.  When you hear this,” Jaime said and stopped in front of a large hike in the center of the yard. “You will be kissing my feet and rubbing my ass.”

“Better than the other way around.” She snorted. “It's a hole, in the ground.”

“It's not just any ole hole.” He smirked, arms folded. “It's a bear pit.  Better than that, it's the bear pit.”

Brienne frowned and chanced a glance over the edge. “What do you mean, the bear pit.”

“It's not just any bear pit.” A voice from behind them spoke.

Jaime turned and patted the back of the odd man. “Dr. Qyburn!  Thanks for taking time to meet with us!”  He turned to Brienne and placed a conciliatory arm around her. “Brienne, this is the curator, slash expert, slash all around know it all of Harrenhall.  Dr. Qyburn, my wife, Dr. Brienne Tarth.”

She offered her hand to the strange man. “ It's a pleasure to meet you,” she said.

“Brienne?” He asked with a look toward Jaime. “Like Brienne the Beauty?”

Brienne bristled at the phrase, she had heard it enough in her life.  Jaime squeezed her hand and said. “Brienne the Beauty was what Ser Brienne had been called, before no one dared to omit the Ser in front of her name.”

Brienne snapped her gaze to Dr. Qyburn, “Brienne the Beauty?   How do you know this?” She asked brusquely.

Dr. Qyburn leaned lazily against the rail around the bear pit and offered the blonde woman an odd grin. “She was your ancestor?” He asked.

Brienne nodded.

“Tell her the story,” Jaime pressed.

Qyburn nodded and folded his arms. “You know of the Bear and the Maiden fair?” He asked after a pause.

Brienne could not help the massive eye roll, everyone knew if that story, it was a child's nursery rhyme. He reminded her of every stuffed professor she had ever had to suffer through in a lecture hall.  To prove her point she recounted the rhyme.

 

There was a bear; there was a bear

All black and brown and covered in hair

He chased the maid from here to there

And ran from the knight of golden hair.

 

Dr. Qyburn picked up where she had left off.

 

The maid so tall, and brave and fair

She was thrown before the bear

The golden knight without a care

Leapt in to save the maiden there

 

“There are plenty more verses,” Qyburn tutted. “But I see you are familiar with it. Except, the line; And ran from the Knight of golden hair, used to be. And ran from the knight of golden heir.”

“What does this have to do with Ser Brienne?” She asked.

Jaime nudged her side. “Give him a minute,” he stage whispered.  Brienne rolled her eyes again but matinee for the small man to continue.

“Here, all that happened here.” He pointed over his shoulder to the bear pit. “The nursery rhyme is far kinder than the truth.”

“Ser Brienne was thrown, naked into this pit,” Jaime said trying to quell his wife’s growing ire. “Ser Brienne was the maid so fair.”

“No way,” Brienne sniffed. “ aid would have heard of this before now.” She turned on Jaime them “is this some kind of joke?”

Jaime held his hands up in mock surrender. “Brienne, I swear this is real.” He answered.

She sniffed and looked at Qyburn. “How do you know if this?” She accused.

Qyburn offered her his slippery smile and spoke. “My own dissertation was on the etymology of that song.” He clarified. “It actually started as a ribald drinking sing about a bear performing a sexual act upon a woman.”

Brienne noted her husband’s lecherous grin and chose to ignore it. “So the song came before what happened here, in the pit?”

Qyburn and Jaime both nodded, and it was Jaime who answered her. “The sing evolved, like most things do over time.”

“Ring around the Rosie's used to be what children sang to keep from the Plague.” Qyburn added.

Sometimes, Brienne noted, it was just easier to go along with the madness. “So, what was Ser Brienne doing her, at Harrenhall?”

“That is lost to history I am afraid. “ Qyburn nodded. “But she was thrown into the pit, naked with nothing but a tourney sword.”

“A blunted blade against a bear?” Brienne asked. “The bear would have eaten her alive.  Who did she piss off to get that treatment?”

The older man shrugged and turned to glance at the pit. “In those days, during the War of the Five Kings, women were….used.  Quite often in not very nice ways.”

“You are missing the whole point of this, wife.” Jaime insisted.

“I wish I knew what that was.” She huffed.

He smiled his golden Lannister grin, “Who was the golden knight?” He said simply.

“Ahh,” grinned Qyburn with a vigorous nod. “That is the question indeed.”

Brienne whipped her gaze between the two men. “Let's pretend I know nothing about this,” she said.

Jaime laughed and ducked his head.  “Dr. Qyburn,“ he said. “Would you be so kind as to explain to my beautiful wife about golden Knights?”

“Well, you understand, golden armor was not specific to any one knight or house for that matter…” He hedged.

Jaime gave the man a look that spoke of repaying debts. Dr. Qyburn held out his hands, “House Lannister was known for wearing gold armor and red cloaks.”

“Oh, this again?” Brienne huffed. “You brought me all the way out here to go over this nonsense, again?”  She pointed at Jaime. “I can't believe we are still having this discussion.”

Jaime turned to the man on the rail. “Tell her,” he nodded. “She won't believe it from me.”

<><> 

He found her outside of what had once been the bath house.  She stood with her arms folded and her head back against the crumbling stone wall.

“Brienne,” he tried.

“Why couldn't you just have left it alone?” She asked.

Jaime shrugged. “It's a great story.”

She turned blue eyes onto her still recent husband. “And that is all it is, a story.”

“What's so hard to believe?  That Ser Brienne was rescued from a certain death by a man with shit for honor?”

“Of all people.” Brienne raged. “Of all people to have rescued her from that bear pit…” She let the implication hang in the air.

“Go on, say it.” Jaime said with a wave.

“You know the stories.” Brienne said. “I don't think anything I have to say would be any different from the truth you’ve heard growing up a Lannister.”

“Ahhhh,” Jaime said. “And there’s the rub!”

She looked at him then, his green eyes flashed with mirth.  “The Kingslayer.  Lord Commander of the kingsguard, who slew his King and fucked his sister.”

 “Let’s not forget he also cuckolded a king with three possible bastards.” He smiled. “If nothing else, we know he was good at that already.”

“The ultimate oath breaker.” Brienne said. “And you actually believe he would have jumped into a bear pit to save Ser Brienne? Unarmed?”

“And one handed, if reports were true.” He smiled. “You know, it makes sense.”

“Excuse me?” Brienne said pushing herself off the wall and advancing upon him.

Jaime held his ground. “Ser Brienne’s sword, “

“Oathkeeper?” Brienne asked. ”Why?”

“Valiant name for a sword.” He said. “Especially one with Lannister markings.  Maybe, she changed him?” Jaime drew his arms around the tall woman. “Maybe doing this one thing set him in a different path.  Maybe he named that sword to offer her his honor.”

“Jaime, that is preposterous.  You have far too many romantic notions.  You've spent too much time around all of those family relics.”

“You know what this means, right?” He asked with a raised eyebrow.

“If he is the one who gave her the sword, Jaime that does not mean he is the one who may have given her the bastard.”

“Doesn't it?” Jaime asked. “A Lannister sword and a Lannister name for an heir.  I am merely connecting the dots.  You're a historian for gods sakes, Brienne.  Anyone else would call this a no brainier.”

“Jaime,” she warned.

But, as usual, her husband was relentless.” How many one handed golden Knights were roaming Westrros?  We already know she Ser Brienne was never in the service of House Lannister.”

“It was war time, I am sure limbs were lost and misplaced on a regular basis.” Brienne said.

“You don’t want to believe that it was a Lannister who saved her?”

“Not that particular Lannister,” Brienne corrected. “No,  do you understand that she is the exact opposite of everything the Kingslayer did?  All my life I heard nothing but about her honor, duty and sacrifice. “  Brienne spread her hands in front of her in frustration. “How would she allow someone like him to…defile her?”

Jaime moved to stand next to his wife. “Brienne, he _saved_ her.” He turned her face to meet his glaze. “And, maybe that rescue is what saved him.”

She nodded.  He was right, but the notion was so farfetched; everything she had grown up knowing about her Ser Brienne, first woman knighted in Westrros, was in danger of being shot to pieces. “This is pretty amazing,”  she finally agreed. “The Kingslayer and the Maid of Tarth,”

“Has a certain ring to it, wouldn't you say?”  Jaime said. “And, you know what this means?”

Brienne shook her head and allowed him to take her hand.

“We’re related!” Jaime said with a ferocious tilt of his eyebrows.

Brienne snorted  “Do you really want to be making incest jokes about all of this?  Might find yourself with an awkward boner.”

“Probably not,” Jaime admitted with a small grin. “Though, being next to you is leading to a wholly relevant boner.”

“Jaime!” Brienne complained as he slid his body against hers. “We are in a public place!”

“Wife,” he whispered huskily into her ear. “I have a sudden urge to fuck you in the bath house.”


End file.
